Buying Guides · 6 min read
Looking for a Karndean Alternative? The GF Match for Every Range
Reviewed by our team, led by Adam Williams, Managing Director
We are a Karndean Retail Partner, so we sell plenty of it. We also make our own brand, GF by Grosvenor Flooring. When a customer likes a Karndean floor but not the cost, the plank size or the wait, GF is where we point them first. Below, each of the six Karndean ranges we stock is paired with the GF floor that fits the same way and has the same or a tougher wear layer.
In this article
- Karndean Ranges and Their GF Pairings
- Knight Tile and Palio Essenza: the Entry Ranges
- Van Gogh: Same 0.55mm Wear Layer
- Art Select: Same 0.7mm Wear Layer
- Knight Tile Rigid Core and Van Gogh Rigid Core
- Finding the GF Twin for One Karndean Design
- What Changes When You Choose GF
- When We Would Still Sell You Karndean
- Compare Them in Altrincham
- Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
Karndean Ranges and Their GF Pairings
Two things decide a fair swap: how the floor is fitted (stuck down or clicked together) and the wear layer, the clear top coat that takes the knocks. This table keeps both the same, or moves you up.
For a closer look at the two main pairings, read GF Glue-Down LVT vs Karndean and GF SPC vs Karndean Rigid Core.
| Karndean range | Fitting | Wear layer | GF pairing | GF wear layer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight Tile | Glue-down | 0.3mm | GF Glue-Down LVT or GF by Associated Weavers | 0.55mm (tougher) |
| Palio Essenza | Glue-down | 0.3mm | GF Glue-Down LVT or GF by Associated Weavers | 0.55mm (tougher) |
| Van Gogh | Glue-down | 0.55mm | GF by Associated Weavers or GF Glue-Down LVT | 0.55mm |
| Art Select | Glue-down | 0.7mm | GF Glue-Down LVT 0.7mm tier | 0.7mm |
| Knight Tile Rigid Core | Click | 0.3mm | GF by Associated Weavers Click SPC or GF Click SPC | 0.3mm or 0.5mm |
| Van Gogh Rigid Core | Click | 0.55mm | GF Click SPC | 0.5mm |
Knight Tile and Palio Essenza: the Entry Ranges
Karndean’s two entry glue-down ranges share a 2mm build and a 0.3mm wear layer. Knight Tile leans towards British oaks and stone. Palio Essenza has a warmer, Italian-inspired palette and a 20-year residential warranty rather than Knight Tile’s lifetime cover. GF has no 0.3mm glue-down floor, so the swap here is an upgrade: GF Glue-Down LVT and GF by Associated Weavers both have a 0.55mm wear layer, which gives a kitchen or hallway more margin.
Go for GF Glue-Down LVT if: you have picked out a Knight Tile or Palio Essenza oak and want something harder wearing. We are happy to price the Karndean and the GF for the same room so you can weigh them up.
The Karndean Knight Tile alternative page lists every Knight Tile wood design next to its nearest GF floor.
Van Gogh: Same 0.55mm Wear Layer
Van Gogh is the Karndean range most people mean when they say they want a realistic wood floor. Its glue-down planks carry a 0.55mm wear layer and our closest match is GF by Associated Weavers. Associated Weavers make it for us in eight oak designs: a 2mm build with a 0.55mm Scratchmaster wear layer and a 25-year warranty, sold as a 178 x 1219mm plank and a 114 x 457mm parquet for herringbone. If you would rather have a broader board, GF Glue-Down LVT matches the wear layer in a 228.6 x 1219.2mm plank.
Go for GF by Associated Weavers if: a Van Gogh oak caught your eye, or you want the plank in one room and the same design in herringbone in the next. Browse the GF by Associated Weavers range or read the GF by Associated Weavers review.
Every Van Gogh wood design and its nearest GF floor is on our Karndean Van Gogh alternative page.
Art Select: Same 0.7mm Wear Layer
Art Select is the top of the Karndean glue-down family. It has a 0.7mm wear layer and the widest choice of plank, parquet, herringbone and chevron sizes. The 0.7mm tier of GF Glue-Down LVT matches that wear layer in plank, herringbone and chevron, which makes it the GF floor for busy family kitchens and homes with dogs.
Go for the GF Glue-Down 0.7mm tier if: you liked an Art Select herringbone or chevron, or you simply want the hardest-wearing GF surface. Browse the GF Glue-Down LVT range, filter glue-down herringbone floors in Floor Finder or read the GF Glue-Down LVT review.
Our Karndean Art Select alternative page pairs each Art Select wood with its nearest GF design.
Knight Tile Rigid Core and Van Gogh Rigid Core
Karndean’s two click ranges float over the subfloor instead of being glued, which makes them quicker to lay over an existing hard floor. GF Click SPC does the same job: a rigid board with a 0.5mm wear layer in a 180 x 1220mm plank, fitted over most hard floors once they pass a flatness check. For bedrooms and other quieter rooms, GF by Associated Weavers Click SPC matches Knight Tile Rigid Core at 0.3mm.
Go for GF Click SPC if: you want a floating floor that goes down fast with no adhesive. See the GF Click SPC range or our GF SPC review.
Finding the GF Twin for One Karndean Design
If you already have a Karndean code or design name, put it into our Floor Finder under “I have seen a floor I like”. It only returns floors that are fitted the same way and look alike, GF first, so a Van Gogh plank brings up GF glue-down planks and an Art Select herringbone brings up GF herringbone. When nothing in GF is close, it says so.
Take the shortlist further with free GF samples by post. A sample on your own floor, seen in morning light and again in the evening, tells you far more than a photo.
What Changes When You Choose GF
GF uses the same layered construction as the big brands and is matched to them on wear layer and format. Because it is our own brand, there is no brand premium in the price. Every GF floor is 100% waterproof and works over underfloor heating. Prices are on every product page, delivery is free across the UK and we can supply and fit it across Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
The specification of each GF design (wear layer, thickness and plank size) is also set out on the GF Flooring website under Glue Down LVT, Click SPC and GF by AW, which makes a line-by-line check against your Karndean choice straightforward.
When We Would Still Sell You Karndean
Some projects need Karndean itself: one particular design, a border or feature strip, or a specification that names the brand. We sell and fit all six ranges. The two Rigid Core ranges and Palio Essenza are priced online and the rest are sold by quote, so choosing GF is never the only option. The Karndean flooring prices guide and Karndean herringbone guide go into the detail.
Compare Them in Altrincham
Karndean is on display at our 24/7 Altrincham Smart Showroom next to GF. Karndean samples are free to collect there. Request a door code online and drop in whenever suits you. The where to buy Karndean in Altrincham page has directions.
Who leads our guides
Managing Director, Grosvenor Flooring
Adam Williams is Managing Director of Grosvenor Flooring in Altrincham. He sets the standards our guides are written to and guides the team that reviews them, so the advice matches the floors we supply, the manufacturers' specifications and the way the fitters we work with install them.
More about Adam →Floor Finder
Not sure which floor to choose?
Answer a few quick questions about your room, who uses it and the look you like. Floor Finder picks the designs that suit you best, with prices per m² and a rough cost for your room.
Start Floor FinderFrequently Asked Questions
Is there a cheaper alternative to Karndean?
Yes. Our own brand GF matches Karndean on fitting and wear layer without the brand premium: GF Glue-Down LVT and GF by Associated Weavers for the glue-down ranges and GF Click SPC for Rigid Core.
Which GF floor is closest to Karndean Van Gogh?
GF by Associated Weavers, or GF Glue-Down LVT if you want a wider plank. Both are glue-down at 0.55mm, the same as Van Gogh.
Which GF floor is closest to Karndean Art Select?
The 0.7mm tier of GF Glue-Down LVT, in plank, herringbone and chevron.
Is there a GF match for Palio Essenza?
The nearest is GF Glue-Down LVT or GF by Associated Weavers. Both are glue-down like Palio Essenza and have a thicker 0.55mm wear layer.
Which GF floor replaces Karndean Rigid Core?
GF Click SPC, a floating rigid-core board with a 0.5mm wear layer.
Does GF wear as well as Karndean?
Where the wear layer is the same, yes. 0.55mm suits most rooms. 0.7mm, the same as Art Select, is the one for the busiest rooms and pets.
Can you fit GF for me?
Yes, across Greater Manchester and Cheshire with a free home survey and no minimum job size. GF is also delivered free anywhere in the UK.
Do you still sell Karndean?
Yes. As a Karndean Retail Partner we supply and fit the full range alongside GF.
GF by Associated Weavers
Premium-spec glue-down, fairly priced
0.55mm wear layerPlank & parquet25-year warranty
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